The new guidelines for HIPAA compliance are complex and include enforcement that all providers must understand and practice in order to remain compliant. Providers must raise their awareness of privacy protection and doing so means taking all precautions necessary to prepare for potential breaches before they occur.
Along with the seven tips from last week, there are even more ways that your company can protect its reputation:
8. Make training a requirement of continued employment. Conduct training, track completion, and refresh training on a regular basis.
9. Encrypt portable devices and create a monitoring and maintenance program.
10. Create and enforce processes that prevent PHI from leaving your organization.
11. If an employee is taking backup tapes offsite to his or her house, that’s a major risk. Ban the practice and contract with an encrypted, business-class service provider who is well versed in PHI.
12. Update your business associate agreements and educate them regularly.
13. Audit assets and document compliance regularly.
For more information, read the full white paper The HITECH Act: Protect Patients and Your Reputation by Donna Maassen, Director of Compliance and Privacy & Security Officer, Extendicare Health Services, Inc.: https://bit.ly/9XkUo0
Posted by Hope Frank, Sales and Marketing Intern, VCPI
